The incident unfolded in broad daylight as Vanchha Garg was en route to her workplace in Noida Film City.
As Garg approached Parthala Chowk amidst heavy traffic, she was accosted by two individuals who aggressively banged on her car windows, claiming she had struck a child.Despite her disbelief at the accusation, the situation escalated as one of the individuals persisted, insisting she roll down her window to address the alleged accident.
In a state of panic and fearing she may have inadvertently harmed someone, Garg reluctantly lowered her window, only to have one of the assailants reach inside the vehicle. Startled, she immediately recoiled and demanded the individual remove his hand. However, in a swift and alarming turn of events, the assailant forcibly opened her car door, while his accomplice intensified his efforts to distract her.
Amidst the chaos, Garg realized her phone, a golden iPhone 14 Pro, had been stolen from her lunch basket on the seat beside her. Subsequent attempts to review CCTV footage proved futile, as the cameras in the area had been non-functional for several months, leaving Garg and the police with limited recourse for identifying the perpetrators.
An FIR has been registered in the matter.
Expressing her dismay at the lack of functional surveillance measures, Garg highlighted the impunity with which the assailants operated. Despite efforts to track her phone, which was later found to be switched on in Meerut, Garg voiced frustration over the authorities’ response, citing delays and procedural inefficiencies in their investigation.
“When I told the police, they said they’ll wait for it to be used again with a new number. I don’t understand why we’re not checking the timelines and CCTV footage from where my phone was used. Why wait for something that might not even happen? Why not look for the footage from Meerut where my phone was turned on? It’s like we’re okay with crime,” she said.
Beyond the loss of her phone, Garg emphasised the potential for more severe outcomes had the assailants chosen to escalate their actions. “Instead of just stealing my phone, they could have decided to kidnap or even kill me since they had complete access to me without worrying about the law. That’s why it’s important for us as a society to find them and make sure they go to jail,” Garg said. Urging societal vigilance and accountability, she called for concerted efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure justice is served.